Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-17
SOUTHERN WONDERS.
Recent Remarkable Cave Dissolve
rites I'm tho Tennessee Mountains.

rites In tho Tennessee Mountains.
Thirty miles south Of Chattanooga,
cut of the eastern base of Lookout
Mountain, says a Chattanooga cores
pendent, a stream of water pOurs into
the valley in a steady volume a foot IN
width and six inches deep. The flow
ing Of the water ms it comes out of the
rocky wall is accompanied by constant
current Of cold air, aud for this cause
the natives have named 1t Blowing
Spring. Some time ago the Grant
brothers and McCrath, who own
the surrounding mountain side
and valley land, conceived the idea
that the spring Ind its source in inn
mense caverns, with which Indian le-
gends say the interior Of Lookout
mountain is honeycOmbed. 4 short
time ago they offered reward of $50
20 any one who would explore these
hidden caves. Last Saturday a noun
taineer named Alexander Smith Hp-
pearcd Mt the Office OF Grant Brothers
and claimed the reward. He brought
several stalaemitcs and stalactites OF re-
markable size and beauty, and OF many
curious shapes, together with small
CRYSTALS and fragments OF rock, which
were scanned with what appeared to be
silver, lead, and copper
The Grant Brothers, who are largely
interested in mining lands in Tennessee
and Alabama, told the mountaineer
they would give him the promised $50
and another half "a hundred on the top
OF it if he would verify his find by
taking them over tie ground of his *
ploTatiOns.
Accordingly party, consisting OF VI.
md II. ". Grant, }. W. McCrath, ).
Il. Logan the successful gas-well borer,
and representatives OF the daily papers.
took carriages and drove out to Blowing
Spring this morning at o'clock. After
breakfasting at Il farmhouse, dressing
themselves with heavy flannel clothing,
and providing themselyo, with miners
lamps, the party, under the leadership
of Smith, began their tOrtu0us entrance
to the cave The explorers had to take
tho water from the start, crawling along
in the bed OF narrow stream on their
hands and knees, and often doing the
snake act on their stomachs for hundreds
Of feet vt time. When they left the
open mir the temperature stood mt 80
and the water in the cavity was 10.
I his mode of progression was kept mp
for more than an hour, when a cavity
on the right Of the stream was entered
aud thcparty proceeded ina half-bentat-
ttude along winding passage tloored
whh sand and INSTRUCTED by bouIders
and irregular blocks of rotten lime
stone, until they reached chamber Of
an oval shape 80 feet wide end - feet
in length and about 20 feet high.
Here the first stalagmites and stalac-
tites of any considerable size were
found. Many Of the former rose to Il
height of ten feet, and the latter hung
down from the ceiling almost low
enough to touch the heads Of tho won
dcr-struck behOlders. Some time was
spent in examining the outer edges OF
this SubtelGncan apartment. Several
pieces Of rock were knocked off with
small hammers from the juttIng lodges
on one eide of the cave. and under the
lampligbt showed unmistakabie evil
dence OF tho presence Of either silver or
lead ore.
Following their guide the men left
this chamber, and after clambcring up
a long, steep passage which led in tue
direction of the top of Lookout noun
tain for more than bali an hour, de
sconded for n distance OF nearly 100
yards, leaping like mountain goats
from rock 10 rock, and then entered a
long gallery which ran alongside a
stream for nearly halt q mile. This
gallery had others opening into it at
right angles and irregular intervals,
ard it, walls were crusted with myrads
of tiny crystals that glistenad like
diamonds in the light OF the
lamps. A sudden turn in the tortu-
Gus passage brought the party into
a large hall over two acres in extent
Every one stood rooted to the ground
with astonishment. In the middle of
this immense opening glittered the
crystal waters Of a lake, and from its
centre rose n miniature island, from
whose bosom, upliited to a height Of
nearly fifteen feet, rose tall, symmet-
rical stalagmite, that bore 4 perfect re-
semblance TO "A Gothic tower, white ut
the top and of yellovish tint at the
base. Parapets, bastions, and terraces
were as accurately traced IN its outlines
as if they had been fashioned by the
hand Of a human architect. This large
central tower was surrounded by others
smaller in size and height, and Of
divers shapes and colors, but all bear
inga singular resemblance to architect
ural forms.
The floor OF the cave surrounding
the lake was as smooth as glass and OF a
blackish gray hue, like the marble
formed in the white-os region in
Southern New Mexico. 1t was covered
with bright pebbles of many colors,
and varying in dimensions from the
size Of pins head to that OF a walnut. |
Many of these were gathered by the
exploring party, and are pronounced
to be opals. Some of the specimens |
collected are said to be larger aud |
more fawless than those found in the
neighborhood Of Chihuahua.
The ceiling of this vast underground |
cavern, which was dome-shaped and |
forty feet above the miniature lake,
was thick with pendant stllactites ar
ranged as if nature in placing them
there had tried her hand at lincrusta
work. On benches of rock, rising like
terraces on the eastern side of this
apartment, were ranged huge stalac-
tites, grctesquites bearing the shapes
Of recumbent animals. Among these
latter Mr.. McCrath found and detached
from its fastenings one that looked like
a petTitied turtle. No fish were found
IN the lake, but on one side of il were
+een the footprints Of a raccoon and
Dear. A crawling brook came out OF
)ne side of the rocky wall and fed the
AXE with IFS waters.
A careful examination showed that
he lake had no outlet. There is but
me passage leading into this immense
,avern. 1t is the supposition of many
hat these caves were known TO the In
iians. and there are evidences that they
ised them as places of retreat during
var and as burial places for their dead.
in their return trip the party explored
many similar caves. In one Of them
nsications Of gypsum and iron we're
ound, and in another, which is not
more than 800 yards from the mouth on
he side Of Lookout mountain, they